


on the brink

by thetealord



Series: doe eyes and lies [4]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Canon Compliant, M/M, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-01-16
Packaged: 2018-09-17 23:33:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9351344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thetealord/pseuds/thetealord
Summary: It had been three years since he’d thought much of the man at all, aside from the occasional wish, the occasional pining, late at night, for those days long past. And now… this?





	

**Author's Note:**

> This falls in 'doe eyes and lies' between chapters 6 and 7.
> 
> title from [coheed and cambria's "the end complete v: on the brink"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RhvUNvDUbE)

“—for some two thousand years,” Monica was saying, pointing at the texts as Cor sipped his coffee. The four of them—Ignis, Gladiolus, Cor, and Monica—were gathered together at a small table at one of Lestallum’s crowded cafes. They’d arrived early, early enough to get four seats. Despite the lack of daylight, almost everyone in the city kept on the old day/night cycle anyway, and the lights in the city brightened and dimmed to signal it.

Prompto and Ignis, with Talcott’s help since he was already in training to be their assistant, had recently recovered some old scripts and brought them back for all of them to pore over. But Prompto had since gone out on a hunt with Iris and Dustin, so it was left to the rest of them to read through and discuss the contents.

“Yes,” Ignis continued, “I’m sure it’s referring to the old legends, and the first King of Light.”

“It is,” Monica said as she read them over. “But… it says here that.” She shook her head, frowning, and Gladio leaned over to read it with her. 

“Ardyn Lucis Caelum,” he said, surprise dripping in his gravelly voice.

Cor lurched forward and, before he swallowed it and choked, spitting out his coffee. All over Gladio.

The other man lurched back in his chair. Ignis was laughing, judging what had happened well enough by listening, and Monica had possessively pulled the precious documents out of range of coffee spewing.

“Ugh,” Gladio said, trying to wipe himself off.

“Sorry.” Cor cleared his throat. 

Gladio shook his head and waved one hand, wiping it off with his sleeve. “Don’t worry about it.”

Cor looked at Monica. “Could you repeat that?”

She looked back at the documents. “Yes. It claims that the name of the first King of Light was named Ardyn Lucis Caelum. This King was a renowned healer, who had apparently, two thousand years ago, cleared most of the realm of the Starscourge by removing the demons from the souls they possessed and taking them unto himself. And then…” she frowned. “It’s hard to read. But judging by the old legends and stories, we can assume there was a jealous King who stole his place. The one who was later judged the true King of Light by the Astrals.”

“And that,” Ignis said, sighing, “Would be the very same Ardyn, then. Seeking revenge, at last.”

“Sounds like it,” Gladio agreed, and the three of them went on to discuss the matter further.

Cor sat back, winded, exhausted. Ardyn… the King of Light? It had been three years since he’d thought much of the man at all, aside from the occasional wish, the occasional pining, late at night, for those days long past. And now… this? The Starscourge, the pain, the deaths, all for some petty revenge? He clenched his jaw. And Cor, where had he fit into that plan? Ardyn had never tried to use him against Noctis. He’d not even tried to discourage him from taking out the Niffs, back then, when that seemed to be their biggest problem. All of this destruction, all selfish… and that wasn’t even what hurt most of all. He hadn’t realized how bitter he still was, about all the lies.

He remembered a time when Ardyn asked if Cor had trusted him. And on that day, fool though he was, he’d said yes. But had Ardyn ever trusted him in the same way? Wouldn’t he have told him the truth then, if he had? And that thought was what hurt, more than anything. Still hurt, even after three years.

Cor stood. “I need a break,” he said, running one hand through his hair. He pushed in his chair, left his coffee on the table. He said nothing else. Gladio and Monica stared after him as he left. No one would stop him. He would take his motorcycle. He would go to Insomnia. 


End file.
